wetsuit in Caribbean - Y or N?

[sunchasers64]

Newly certified here. Do I need my own wetsuit for Caribbean diving (Cozumel, GC, Roatan...)? Do dive operators provide them? I've been on a resort dive in Cozumel in July, and did not wear a wetsuit. Going this year in April. Any advice appreciated.....

[bruce-r]

I don't know your thermal tolerance, but I would definitely wear a wetsuit in the caribbean any time of the year and not just for thermal protection, although that is a huge part of my needing one. A wetsuit also provides physical protection and UV protection.

 

No, dive operators do not provide them, but many of them have wetsuits available for rent. You'll want to make arrangements in advance if you want to rent a wetsuit. It will likely be a 3 mm shortie.

[BuzzF117]

I would highly recommend at min a 3mil full suit. I am very cold tolerant and I was cold diving in 80 degree water. simply because our dives were in the morning before temp rose much above 75 degrees when you factor in a breeze and being wet you get cold. A full suit is going to give you plenty of abrasion protection as well. I will never dive in Caribbean with less then a 3mil full again.

[scubaran]

Hi,

 

Yeap, 3mm full for me in the Caribbean. Makes it a lot nicer dive and they are compact enough to pack in your bag (I take along a large travel space bag to zip up that soaking wet suit after the dive and for packing any wet swim suits, etc. at the end of the cruise to keep my dirty clothes dry on the way home :) ).

 

Randall

[foneguy]

well im very temp tolorant i use a 3ml shortie, but i dive in cold water wet....infact, in st marteen last year i didnt bother my son was the same, but let me add this, if you should choose to not wear a wet suit, take another thin tshirt, your bcd will irritate your skin, i use armorwear if not a wet suit

[Boytjie]

On our last cruise diving in Roatan, Belize and Cozumel I was happy to wear a wet suit every time. I can get cold fast so it just made the diving more comfortable - one less thing to worry about.

 

At one dive operator they did run out of shorties in the Large range but I was happy to take a full wet suit. I plan on buying my own shorty 3mm suit for future trips. Another plus: I won't look like all the other divers underwater :)

[Tider92]

A shorty is nice. But depends on your cold tolerance. I dove Roatan, Belize and Cozumel in a T-shirt in November, but I dive cold water springs often. Some of the shallower dives can last 40+ minutes so a full 3mil is good if you get chilled easily. I alway carry both - doesn't take that much room and its good to have options.

 

I'm 6'4 275lbs, So they don't usually have my size. (Particularly in Belize.)

[bruce-r]

On our last cruise diving in Roatan, Belize and Cozumel I was happy to wear a wet suit every time. I can get cold fast so it just made the diving more comfortable - one less thing to worry about.

 

At one dive operator they did run out of shorties in the Large range but I was happy to take a full wet suit. I plan on buying my own shorty 3mm suit for future trips. Another plus: I won't look like all the other divers underwater :)

One more plus is that you will know your wetsuit will be clean. Everyone pees in rental wetsuits, or they lie about it.

[foneguy]

Everyone pees in rental wetsuits, or they lie about it.

 

wait a min.......there are 2 kinds of divers here....those who pee in their wet suis, and those who lie about not peeing in their wet suits....

[Boytjie]

One more plus is that you will know your wetsuit will be clean. Everyone pees in rental wetsuits, or they lie about it.

 

Only in rental suits? :D

[bruce-r]

Only in rental suits? :D

 

No, but most people do a better job washing their own wet suits.

[sunchasers64]

LOL Thanks for all the replies. Since I only will be diving in the tropics, I believe I will go with all your advice and purchase my own 3mm wetsuit. Full or shortie, I'll decide at the time.

 

Thank you everyone!

[scubaran]

LOL Thanks for all the replies. Since I only will be diving in the tropics, I believe I will go with all your advice and purchase my own 3mm wetsuit. Full or shortie, I'll decide at the time.

 

Thank you everyone!

 

And don't forget the "sink the stink" wetsuit detergent in case an accident happens. :)

[gmcrow]

My cold tolerance is very low, and it has gottne worse with age. A shorty just doesn't do me much good any more. I wear a 3/4 combo full suit that is comfortable almost everywhere in the Caribbean year round. The cost isn't much higher than a shorty if you shop, and if it improves for more years of diving, I'd go for the extra neoprene.

[bruce-r]

LOL Thanks for all the replies. Since I only will be diving in the tropics, I believe I will go with all your advice and purchase my own 3mm wetsuit. Full or shortie, I'll decide at the time.

 

Thank you everyone!

 

I'd get a BARE wet suit from http://www.scubatoys.com again. I really like mine and appreciated the good customer service from them.

[dirvin0500]

My DW and I are snorkeling on Grand Cayman on May 19th but doing the intro to scuba with Eagle Ray Divers on the 20th. Because we are only going to a max depth of 40' is a wet suit really required. Hate to buy one for once a year if we really don't need it.:confused:

[bruce-r]

My DW and I are snorkeling on Grand Cayman on May 19th but doing the intro to scuba with Eagle Ray Divers on the 20th. Because we are only going to a max depth of 40' is a wet suit really required. Hate to buy one for once a year if we really don't need it.:confused:

 

It doesn't matter how deep you go, the temperature will most likely be the same. What does matter is what the water temperature is and how long you will be in the water. I'd expect water temp around 81 +/- a degree that time of year.

 

Just rent one for your discover scuba dive.

[dirvin0500]

Rent from where. Do you know if Eagle Ray Divers in Cozumel rents them?

[scubadiver888]

Rent from where. Do you know if Eagle Ray Divers in Cozumel rents them?

Your best bet is to contact Eagle Ray Divers in Cozumel. You can email them at chellie@eagleraydivers.com or antonio@eagleraydivers.com. You can also contact the cruise line. A lot of the cruise ships will rent you a wetsuit for $10 a day.

[dirvin0500]

Thanks. I just found a "killer" deal at Leisurepro on a 3mm shortie that they normally sell for $69.95 and is on sale for $39.95. If I only use it twice a year it's worth that much knowing that if anyone pee'd in my wetsuit it was me :)

[w&k]

We just got back from a Galaxy cruise where we did 5 days of diving in the 77-79 degree range. (Aruba, Curacao, Barbados, Dominica, St. Kitts).

 

Here's my list of wearables working from the top down:

 

lycra hood

+ 3 mm beanie

+ fuzzy skin (suposedly same warmth as 2 mil suit)

+ 2 mil full suit

+ neoprene/suede gloves

+ lycra sox

+ 3 mil hard booties

 

and I was still cold (but not freezing, this time).

 

However, we were doing at least 60 min per dive, back to back. Air left in my DH's tank is a terrible thing to waste ;)

 

Also, I'm a Floridian, on the far side of 40, and I tend to wear that 2 mil in South Florida in the summer even though I have plenty of my own insulation.

 

Personally, I can't pee enough to keep warm on my second dive. Moving to the fuzzy skin from a regular Lycra skin definitely is warmer on the second dive, but it does decrease the warmth distribution function (ahem).

 

With four wetsuits in our cabin bathroom, it got a bit frutitious in there despite a good rinsing each day. Between dives 4 & 5, I didn't even take them out of the plastic bags as they were getting really stinky by then.

 

Maybe DH will get on a good run in the casino, and I look into getting us a set of those fancy Instadry wetsuits... but they probably don't come in 2XL and 3XL.

 

Have a great trip no matter what you wear!

 

Wendy

[sunchasers64]

Thanks. I just found a "killer" deal at Leisurepro on a 3mm shortie that they normally sell for $69.95 and is on sale for $39.95. If I only use it twice a year it's worth that much knowing that if anyone pee'd in my wetsuit it was me :)

 

I'll have to check that out! Thanks! :D

[bensontc]

In Roatan, Cozumel and Belize I was very comfortable in a 2 mm shorty. Friends I was with were feeling chilled in a 2/3 mm full suit. Good idea to bring something along, even just a skin for protection against sun, scrapes and jellyfish.

[BuzzF117]

In Roatan, Cozumel and Belize I was very comfortable in a 2 mm shorty. Friends I was with were feeling chilled in a 2/3 mm full suit. Good idea to bring something along, even just a skin for protection against sun, scrapes and jellyfish.

 

Something to consider if you are doing a drift dive you will not be moving only going with the current so you may get a little more chilled since you will not be exerting yourself. I would suggest the 3mil full I tolerate cold very well and got cold while doing a drift dive.

[foneguy]

Originally Posted by dirvin0500

Thanks. I just found a "killer" deal at Leisurepro on a 3mm shortie that they normally sell for $69.95 and is on sale for $39.95. If I only use it twice a year it's worth that much knowing that if anyone pee'd in my wetsuit it was me :)

I'll have to check that out! Thanks! :D

 

leisure pro?? hey i got mine at sams club!!!!! its name is gotcha...but who cares its a 3ml shortie for 40$:D :D I win with that , its 2 yrs old and only shows wear at the velcro section and a little on the neck